Everything and Everywhere
by kissandnottell
Summary: The doctor has resigned himself to loneliness. He's not looking for anything. She's looking for everything. Maybe if he opens his hearts again the universe will be a little less lonelier. (Tenth Doctor/OC, set after Journeys End. Somewhat of a begrudging doctor/companion story, but their relationship will grow throughout.)
1. Alien Affairs

This is the first time I've written a doctor who story in a while (we're talking about 5 years) but I've wanted to do an OC story for ages!

Hope you enjoy :)

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The alarm rang out at 6 AM on the dot. Like it always did.

Natalies hand aimed for it, missed, and whacked the side table instead. She groped, hitting every area of the table as the alarm blared into her skull, until she hit the alarm with such a force that the plastic cracked.

Mornings, despite the early ones every day, were never her forte, and every morning the house felt emptier than usual. Her mum worked six days a week, 12 hours a day, she had to keep them both afloat and not off the street. It still hurt to get up and not have her around, to only catch her when she came in from work, tired and exhausted.

A plus, however, was she could be as loud as she wanted. Save for the neighbours, anyway.

The song blared from her tinny flip phone, as she pulled out her uniform from the drawer. She tried to ignore the mirrors on her way to the bathroom, but when she clicked on the lights, it was hard to ignore it anymore; Black hair stuck up at all angles, green eyes encased in heavy bags, and a _hell_ of a zit trying to make an appearance at her hairline. As appearances went, she wasn't looking too peachy.

Half an hour later, a brush, and some makeup utilised, she looked somewhat presentable. She'd have to, anyway. She was going to be late for work.

The waitressing job was something she had to do just to get by. Her mum needed all the help she could get, and when her mums friend Jane heard about an up and coming restaurant in the middle of Manchester, they needed the staff. She needed a job.

Just a shame the hours were so ridiculous.

Natalie rounded the stairs and left by the front door, giving the door a tug to check it was locked. Paint peeled off the door and landed on her shoe.

"Lovely," She grunted, kicking it off. "Luxury accommodation, right here."

Her walk to the bus stop started with minor grumbling and lamenting her situation. The occasional car whizzed by, her heels scuffing the pavement as she walked.

A man ran towards her. First she saw the flash of the brown coat, then his shoulder hit hers, sending her stumbling backwards.

He didn't stop, didn't apologise, just kept on running, his trench coat flapping behind him.

"Oi!" She called out, but he didn't turn. "Sorry I was in the way of your morning _sprint_!" Still nothing. Manchester was getting worse for people like that, she swore.

Work was…Well… _work._

It dragged, and dragged. She spent most of her time fake smiling at customers who couldn't care less about the service they received anyway.

She rounded one of the tables. A man sat there, judging from the hands wrapped around the menu. It was pulled up over his face.

She coughed.

No response.

"… _Ahem._ "

The menu was lowered, and she caught his face. She'd only seen it in a blur, but the brown trench coat gave him away in an instant. He had spiked brown hair, a strong nose, and eyes—eyes that looked like they didn't belong on someone so young, they were worn, weathered… _Tired._

He was still, however, very rude for what he had done to her this morning.

"Can I take your order sir?"

He grinned, making his eyes wrinkle at the corners. "Yes, you can! I'll start with one of your finest mains, then finish with a _crème brulee_ " He put on a French accent for his desert choice, kissing his fingers. "And um….That…That thing…The thing.. Fish bread… Crisps… Crackers!" He yelled loudly, so that it made her jump. "Prawn crackers!"

"…We don't do prawn crackers, sir." She supplied, in a clipped tone. "And might I add, you were very rude this morning."

He blinked owlishly. "Was I?"

"Yep. You might've been in a rush but there was no need to knock me bloody flying." She snapped, her professional decorum melting by the instant. "An apology might've been nice."

"When was that, then?" He questioned, and from the look on his face, it looked like he genuinely didn't know.

"This morning. 'Bout seven ish, outside Stockport Road." She cocked her head to the side. "Do you not remember?"

" _Oh_!" He slapped his head, making her jump again. "That was me, yeah. Was in a terrible rush honestly, involved a slitheen—well, I say slitheen, a _raxacoricofallapatorian_ and a woman with three heads, well I say three heads its more two and a half… _well I say—_ "

"Right." She interrupted him. Her head spinning at how fast he was churning utter nonsense at her. "…Never mind, forget I asked. What main do you want?"

"Well what I'd _really_ like is to meet your boss." He raised a single eyebrow, chin propped on his hand.

"…You've got a complaint?" She questioned. "Already?"

"Nah!" He grinned. "Exemplary customer service, very attentive! Just need a word with him that's all."

She paled, all the blood running to her feet. "…You're a mystery diner, aren't you?"

"Whats that then?"

"…A mystery diner. You come in and rate our food and have a look at the kitchen and stuff. To test us."

He blinked at her. Before nodding slowly. "Yup. That's me. Mystery…Thingy. Look, even got my credentials and everything." He shoved a piece of paper in her face, and pulled it back just as quick, but it was enough for her to catch his credentials.

She shifted awkwardly. "You're not really supposed to tell us, the point is that we don't know—"

"I'm sorry, what was your name?"

Interrupted, she blinked at him. He was _very_ rude. "Natalie. Natalie Kemp."

He nodded slowly. "Between me and you Natalie, I think you should take the day off. Have some fresh air, pop back home for a bit."

" _What_?"

"Just have a little bre—"

Light flared from under the kitchen door, a cold bright blue, which made the man stop in his tracks. His eyes narrowed, teeth clenched. "Its already started."

He bolted from his chair and ran straight for the kitchen doors before she could even get a word out. The light still protruded under the door, and she cast a glance back to the restaurant before following him into the kitchen.

"Mate-Sir! Whatever you're called! You're not allowed in there without confirmation!" She ran after him, barrelling through the doors. "It's policy even for mystery din..." Her voice fell flat. "…ers."

In front of her, her boss, Malcolm, was _opening his forehead._ Literally opening his forehead. Like a zip across skin. He pulled it across, from temple to temple, until his skin started to wrinkle and gather.

She stared, transfixed, as whatever _was_ her boss worked its skin down its body until a green figure emerged. Its eyes were black and beady as it blinked, long green claws erupting from its hands, a protruding stomach hanging over its legs.

" _Natalie?!_ " The man called from the other side of the kitchen. _"NATALIE!_ "

"What the _hell_ is it?" She screamed, backing into the ovens, her eyes stuck on the creature. "Is that my _boss_?"

The mysterious man grabbed her hand. " _Come with me_."

He tugged her after him as he ran out of the back door, hitting the fire alarm with his left palm on the way out. Her heart sounded in her ears as she tightened her grip on his hand, her feet starting to fall into rhythm with his.

"I don't even know your _name_!" She got out, as they rounded a corner, the thing hot on their heels. "And what was that? Why are you stopping? Whats this?"

"Full of questions aren't you?" He snapped back. He'd stopped in front of a blue box, fiddling with the lock. "Im the doctor, that's a slitheen, maybe, and this is my ship."

" _Your ship?"_

He yanked her inside, charging up…

The _ramp._

She halted as the doors slammed behind her. The thing she'd entered, the _box,_ was barely able to fit two people.. and yet…

It was _huge._ Her heart skipped a beat as she tried to register her surroundings, from the massive centre hub to the round circle egg things on the wall, she was trying to keep herself grounded.

"I know you have questions." He told her, keeping his eyes on what she assumed were the controls. "And I promise, I'll answer them, just let me make us relatively safe first."

She shrunk down to the point where she was sitting on the ramp, her head against the metal barrier. It shuddered and wheezed as the ship lurched to one side.

"Your house…Ship…Thing…" She closed her eyes. "It's bigger on the inside." She said, weakly.

"That it is!" The doctor exclaimed. "Its called the TARDIS. Time and Relative Dimension in Space."

She didn't reply, screwing her eyes shut again, trying to calm herself down. She heard his feet coming closer before she sensed it. When her eyes opened, his hand was extended down to her.

"I know it's a lot to take in." She eyed him up for a second, before taking his hand. He hauled her up to her feet. "Ask any question you want. Go on."

"…Okay." She looked around the _tardis._ "Is this a spaceship?"

"Yes. And a time machine."

"You're not a mystery diner are you?"

"No."

"…Is my boss an alien?"

"Yes."

"Are you an alien?"

"…Yes."

She nodded slowly. "Okay. What kind?"

"Time lord." He told her simply. "Do you believe me?"

She looked at him, looking for a lie, for madness. His eyes just held truth. "I don't know."

"Understandable."

"Back there… In the restaurant. That things still running around." She clutched the metal barrier. "It could be hurting people, right now."

He grinned at her, and she wasn't sure why. "Nah, its after me. I've had dealings with their kind before, and lets just say they aren't happy to see me again."

"So you're…enemies then?" She walked slowly up the ramp. "And that means they'll follow us? You've moved us right? I felt it move when I was sat down."

"Correctamundo!" He grinned, raking his eyes over her. "Have a look outside."

She hesitated.

"Go on," His voice was soft. "They wont have found us yet, I swear."

"Promise?"

" _Triple_ promise."

Natalie swore under her breath. She should have run. She should have took one look at that monster and ran for the hills, never should have followed him. Yet with the way he was looking at her, his promise, she wanted to see where they had landed. More than _ever._

She slowly walked down the ramp, her breath pausing in her throat as she pushed the doors open.

Wherever she was, it wasn't outside the restaurant anymore. Air wooshed past her face as two large fans circulated air around the room. The walls were grey, panelled and… _alien._

"…Are we on another ship?" She asked him, not turning round. " _It's_ ship?"

"Yep," He replied, popping the P. He closed the door behind them. "You're adjusting well."

She turned so fast her hair whipped his face, her smile wide. "Am I?" She didn't know why she was so keen to hear his approval, she'd known him three seconds and yet here she was, blindly following him.

" _Very_ well." He repeated, taking off into a stroll. She followed him. "Three seconds ago you were screaming bloody murder about mystery diners and now we're in a spaceship, _that_ is an adjusting masterclass. I'd consider a career change."

" _Ha ha._ " She quipped sarcastically, her eyes darting around the ship as she followed the doctor. "Is there a reason why we're walking right into it's ship? With no weapons?"

"I'm here to _talk_ to it, not blow its heads off." He snapped back. "I'm just hoping it'll remember what happened with Blon-Fel Flotch."

 _Talking sounds like a great idea until you remember the huge claws._ "Blon-Fel who?"

He spun round to face her, a hand running through his hair. "She was a Slitheen. We were in Downing street, she tried to kill me with her brothers running around in human suits and farting until they got blown up."

He said it as if it was the most normal thing in the world. As if _she_ was the stupid one for asking.

"…Farting?"

"I tell you all that and farting's what you pick up on?" He raised an eyebrow. "This just reminds me why I _hate_ starting new." Pause. "Nope, I'm not starting new. You're going home after this. Don't know why I said that. Done with that now."

He was pacing all the way through that rant, and all she could do was stare at him. "…Should we not be finding these raxacoro-things then?"

The doctor glanced at her, his mouth snapping shut, and nodded, before taking off again. He was a very confusing man.

She kind of liked it.

She followed the doctor, through twists and turns of the corridors, before he came to a halt, and she, classy and poised as she was, bumped into his back.

"Sorry."

" _Doctor,_ " That certainly didn't come from her. The hissing voice got louder as she stepped out from behind the doctors back. "We've been chasing you for some time. Did you get tired of running?"

" _Nah_ ," The doctor grinned. "Ran all my life. Not gonna stop now. Just thought I'd pop by since you've been following me, I do autographs for a quid if you're interested."

Natalie's lip quirked into a grin despite everything that told her she shouldn't be doing.

"And I see you've picked up another stray." Beady eyes pointed at Natalie, who swallowed thickly under the attention. "Did the blonde one bore you in the end?"

" _Don't mention her._ " The doctor snapped, a quick change from his previous attitude. "I came here to talk, not fight. You don't have the materials for an all out attack so why are you wasting your time on me?"

"I came to…assess planets." The raxacoricofallapatorian replied. "I followed you doctor. For a while. Every planet you came across, I assessed for profit, what I could gain. That's when I heard about the Slitheen's attempt on earth."

"And what, you're going to try and blow it up? Did you not see how that ended for the other brady bunch? And they had _three_ times the materials you do. You've only been out of hibernation for 5 years! There's only _one_ of you."

The creature seemed to… _narrow its eyes._ She didn't know aliens were capable of giving sideye, but here it was, in the flesh. She almost laughed. "The slitheens were stupid. For all their power they had no brain."

"Neither do you by the sound of it." It came out of her mouth before she could stop it, and out of the corner of her eye, the doctors grin widened.

"And _who_ are you, human?"

She opened her mouth to speak, before the doctor spoke for her. He pressed something into her palm; "This isn't just any human, you see, I knew about your plan for the earth, you were _very_ obvious, so I came prepared! Kleng Dakrosen-Traf Gemalene, I give you Natalie Kemp, earths top representative in alien affairs."

 _Alien affairs?!_ She glanced down at the object in her hand, whilst nodding very enthusiastically. The piece of paper read what he had just said, an ID badge, her face, name and _title._ This was going to be a bluff and a half. It was the paper he'd used, the mystery diner one. If all the pressure wasn't on her, she would've laughed.

"Natalie Georgina Kemp." She announced, with a slight tremor in her voice. She held up the paper to the raxacoricofallapatorian, before pulling it down just as quickly. This whole thing sort of reminded her of trying to get into clubs with her fake ID at 17…Only with the bouncer being a bit uglier. "I represent the matter of alien affairs on behalf of the United Nations."

"And you've brought her here, because?" Gemalene questioned. If it had eyebrows, Natalie assumed it would be raised.

The doctor opened his mouth to speak—

"—Because I'm the only one who has the authority to deal with alien threats." Natalie interrupted him, her heart beating at 500 beats a minute. "We saw your ship near the atmosphere before the doctor was even on the scene, and you're probably aware that we have missiles locked onto your location."

The whole thing was a blatant lie, and she kept her eye on the monster in front. It blinked once, then twice.

"You are aware if you launch these missiles, you too will die?" Gemalene questioned, head cocked to one side.

"I'd give up more than myself to save that planet and you should know that." She snapped. "Of all your interactions with the human race, all your scans, and watching, and waiting. I bet you've noticed one thing. Just _one._ We might be small, but we can _fight,_ and we will fight! There's tonnes of planets out there, it says so on the news…" She coughed, realising her error. "And the intel. That I get on my desk. My united nations desk."

The doctor rubbed his eye with his fingers, his lips tugged into a grin.

" _But—_ " She continued, trying to keep it together. "That means there's plenty to scavenge and sell. Plenty of garbage worlds and universal unpopulated scrap heaps. Maybe a lower profit, sure, but you'll have your lives at the end of it."

"…There is truth, to your words."

She almost smiled in relief. Almost.

"Alright doctor." Gemalene conceded, flicking a few switches. "You can take your representative. You have my word that the earth will not be attacked."

The doctor nodded. "You'll focus on unpopulated worlds?"

"For now."

The doctor nodded. "Right. We'll take our leave."

" _But—_ "

He took her hand, and tugged her away.

"We'll take _our leave_."

Akin to a child having a tantrum, she let him walk her back through the corridors, dropping his ID into his outstretched hand. Only when they turned the corner did he finally smile.

" _That,_ Natalie Kemp, was _brilliant._ " His smile almost reached his ears. "A Mancunian waitress, bluffing her way to a top alien race without so much as a _blink_!"

Natalie ducked her head into her chest, grinning from ear to ear. This whole thing hadn't processed yet, but the high she felt was something else. He led her back to the T.A.R.D.I.S, holding the door open for her to enter.

"I'm here all week." She replied. "Or…day. However long time passes in here."

The doctor smiled, flicking switches and running around the console. The hum was somewhat reassuring under her feet. Natalie wriggled her toes as the ship set off, throwing her into the console.

"Rough ride, isn't it?" She asked, grinning across the console at him.

"Always is!" He grinned back. "Allonsy!"

The T.A.R.D.I.S stilled, and she pushed back from the console to run down the ramp, ready for wherever they'd landed. If anywhere. She pushed the doors open, and stumbled out onto the street.

"Here we are!" The doctor stepped out behind her. "About 50 seconds after we left."

"…Oh." She didn't know why, but she'd expected something else. "So this is it then?"

He nodded. Didn't say a word.

"Right. Okay." Pause. "It's just… I would've quite liked to go somewhere else. Just, I dunno, a planet or something, or back in time, that was really good back there. I thought we had fun."

The doctor swallowed, and suddenly he didn't quite meet her eye. "I don't do that anymore."

"Do what, Doctor?"

He glanced down to his trainers, swallowing again. "You heard what Gemalene said, I travelled with people before." His throat seemed to close around his words, as if he was struggling to get them out. "They all left me. For different reasons, different times. I lost them. I'm not going to lost someone again."

This wasn't it.

She knew it wasn't.

Natalie should have took it lying down, said her goodbyes, and left. But this wasn't it for the two of them. She could feel it.

"How old are you?"

The doctor raised his head, blinking at her. "905."

"How many years have you been traveling with people?" She asked, folding her arms. "How many years?"

"Natalie—"

" _How. Many. Years._ "

"…A very, very, long time."

"You probably lost every single one of them and yet you always found someone else. Took them away in your spaceship and carried on." He kept his eyes on the floor, still. "After 905 years of that then you'll know more than anyone how _rubbish_ it is being on your own. Being alone _doesn't_ protect you."

"Yes it does." he snapped, meeting her eye. "It means I don't go through it again."

"And live your life bitter and alone and lonely? Telling jokes to yourself because youre the only person in that _huge_ ship of yours?" She chanced taking a step closer to him. "You _need_ someone. Everybody dies, or gets lost, or leaves. It's inevitable, but don't rob yourself of happiness because you're scared of the loss that'll follow. The good and the bad. It makes _people, people._ "

"I'm not _people_." He replied.

"Yes you are. You're more people than half the people I know, I know that and I've only just met you." She took another step so that she was nearly in his personal space. "But everybody needs someone."

He glanced down at his shoes. "Alright."

"…Is that an okay?"

He paused, swallowing _again._ "That's an okay."

Natalies grin spread from ear to ear. She made the last step towards him and slammed her face into his middle, hugging him tightly. "I'll prove it to you, I swear!"

It took him a while, but eventually his hands wrapped around her in a hug;

"I'm sure you will."

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Thanks for reading :)


	2. Broken Glass

So, first adventure! spoooky ~ thankyou so so much for the reviews you two lovely people left, it really cheered me up :)

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"So…This is a time machine?" Natalie questioned, when they'd headed back inside. "I can come back to this exact spot? A Second later?"

The doctor glanced up from the console. "Got somewhere to be?"

She thought of her mum. Waiting and listening out for her to come home from work. She thought about her friends and her job and her life that she was leaving behind;

"…No."

He looked like he didn't believe her, but didn't comment on it. He fiddled with the buttons attached to the console as she glanced around her surroundings, trying to get her bearings in the T.A.R.D.I.S. She had been here before, but it was still hard to grasp, to adjust. It was almost beautiful, in a strange way.

He paused at the console until he drew her attention, his expression unexpectedly serious. "Whole of time and space. The universe on a plate. What d'you think?"

"…I wanna go back in time." She blurted out, a smile spreading across her lips as she gripped onto the console. "Start slow, yeah? See if you're not bluffing. Take me…to see something _old_."

"Something old it is!" He grinned back, pulling down a lever. "Hold on tight!"

That wasn't an exaggeration. Last time she hadn't really been focusing on the T.A.R.D.I.S taking off, she was busy having a mental breakdown on the ramp with her head against the walls. This time, when it lurched, so did she, the only thing keeping her upright was her grip on the console.

"We've landed then?"

He nodded, tilting his head towards the door.

Sure, she'd been to a spaceship, but this was something different. She glanced at the doors, before taking off at a run. Her hands outstretched in front of her as she barrelled through the doors.

"19th Century England!" The doctor exclaimed, stepping out onto the ground behind her. "Always loved this century, lovely! Well…I _say_ lovely, if we see good old Queen Vic, we might need to start running."

Nat grinned as the wind whipped her hair about her face. "Don't tell me you upset Queen Victoria, was she _not amused?_ "

He frowned. "Don't."

"….What?"

He didn't reply, walking in front of her as his trench coat flapped in the breeze. She decided not to question. The doctor was a complex man, fire and ice, quiet and loud, angry and solemn. She didn't want to upset him.

The manor in front of them was grand in size, and stature. She felt somewhat out of place.

"Phwoar…" She murmured, eyes wide. "That's one hell of a gaff, isn't it?"

The doctor hummed. "Is indeed. Shall we?"

"I still cant believe this is the 1800's!" She kicked at the turf underfoot, sending grass sailing across the ground. "This is 19th century _grass_. That's mental." Natalie quickly fell into step with him, their hands swinging in time to their feet. "And we're breathing 19th century _air._ "

"If this gets you, I cant wait 'till we meet some people."

She blinked. "Will I have to do a courtesy? Will they even understand me?"

The doctor looked her over as they came to stop at the front door. "Why wouldn't they understand you?"

"All the Victorians were posh weren't they? Especially ones that live in houses like this." She tilted her head to the manor, eyebrows furrowed. "I'm from the north, they might not get what I'm saying."

He blinked, then, slowly, the brightest grin she'd ever seen spread across his face. Then, he laughed, a laugh that came from the bottom of his stomach, his head thrown back.

When he had stopped, he wiped a tear from his eye with his left hand. "Oh, _Natalie Kemp_. I like you."

She couldn't stop from smiling back, before she raised her fist towards the door. "Shall we then?"

"Ladies first."

She knocked on the manor door, clearing her throat.

No one came.

She threw a glance to the doctor. He shrugged.

She knocked again.

He rooted around his pocket, producing a thin metal device and pointed it at the door.

"Isn't this breaking and entering?" She asked, as the door swung open. "And what is that anyway?"

" _This_ ," He held it up against his chest. "Is my sonic screwdriver."

"…Right."

The house was pitch black, but the doctor lit it up with his 'scewdriver'. The faint whirring sound rang through the house as she checked the hallways, ceiling, and doors. It was haunting as she followed the doctor, floorboards creaking on every step.

"Do you not think this is creepy? All dark and everything? No one home?" A floorboard creaked underfoot. "And whats will all the mirrors?"

Mirrors of all kinds, short, long, ceiling length, scattered all across the room. Someone clearly loved themselves too much.

"You shouldn't have come here."

Her blood ran cold at the unfamiliar voice. She swallowed quickly, trying to make out the figure in the gloom.

"They'll get you, you know. Like they got everyone. You should leave."

"Right." The doctor replied, undeterred. "And…who would they be, then?"

"The thing." Another floorboard creaked. "They'll get you. Just like they got Florence. Just like they got everyone. I'm not going to warn you again. You have to _get out._ "

The doctor chanced a step closer to the voice. "Listen, these _things_ , tell me about them. I can help you."

"Why should I trust you?"

"Do you have a choice?" Natalie interrupted, stepping next to the doctor. "How many offers of help have you had on your own—alienating yourself from everyone? _Please,_ let us help."

Slowly, light lit up the man as he sparked the candle, casting his face in an orange glow. He was old, lines graced his forehead, the corner of his eyes as he frowned, his lips. Grey hair poked out of a small cap on his head, dirty and worn down from years of wear.

"Alright." He concluded. "Please…follow me into the parlor. There's less of them there."

They both followed him as he set off to walk. The mirrors carried on into the corridor, the décor of the place similar to the entrance. Floorboards were falling apart, wallpaper crumbled from the walls and—

In the corner of her eye, she could've sworn she saw something move in that mirror. She blinked, her head snapping back to where she thought she'd spotted it.

"Doctor." She tugged on the sleeve of his coat. No response. " _Doctor_."

"What?"

Natalie pointed a shaking finger towards the mirror. "That mirror…I saw something _move_."

"…Your reflection, maybe?"

Her eyes narrowed at him. "Shut up." His only response was to put his hands up in mock surrender. "I could've sworn I saw something. It wasn't me, I know it wasn't."

He took a step forward to the mirror, ready to get his screwdriver—

" _Hello_?" The mans voice bellowed. "I'm in the parlor!"

That _was_ what they were there for after all. To help him. They could look at the mirrors later. She kept her eyes on the mirror as she followed the doctor, warmth was seeping into her fingers.

 _Just a hot flush._ She told herself.

It was a pretty strong hot flush. It made her feel odd. The longer she looked at the mirror, the more warm she was. Cosy—almost.

The doctor was already getting down to business when she went into the parlor. It was in a similar state to the rest of the house, but it was bright. Candles were lit wall to wall.

"So, we'll start with the basics, whats your name?" The doctor was sat on a chair opposite the man, resting his elbows on his knees.

"Jacob." The man answered cautiously. "And yourselves?"

"I'm the doctor, and this," He jabbed a thumb over his shoulder. "Is Natalie. Grab a seat, Nat."

She waved at Jacob, noticing the wood creak when she sat down. Either she'd put on weight or the chair was about as stable as anything else in the house.

She hoped it was the former.

"Start at the beginning. Tell us what happened."

Jacobs hands tremored as he spoke. "It started…90 years ago. I'm from Gloucester and…I needed the work, my mum died when I was a child. So I begged on the streets. Mr and Mrs Pocherline offered me a job, I'd have to move up to rural London. Away from the city, clean their house."

"So this was their house?" Natalie asked, taking a glimpse of her surroundings. If he was employed to be a cleaner maybe he needed the sack. "Have they…passed away now, Jacob?"

He nodded quietly. "I was a live-in cleaner. Helped all generations of the Pocherlines. Became family to them. It started with members of staff first, a butler here, a maid there…"

"Wait, what started?" The doctor interrupted.

"The disappearances. We just thought they'd left for better jobs, but then when little Miss Jemima disappeared we knew it was something else. It carried on, and _on._ They just kept disappearing. In the end it was just me and their daughter, Florence, Florence Pocherline. We grew up together…We—" Visible tears rose in his eyes. "Loved each other."

Her heart tightened painfully at the sight of his tears. Without thinking, she leant forward, covering her hands with his. "I know this is painful Jacob, but please, the more we know the more we can help. You're doing _so_ well."

Jacob nodded, a tear falling onto his and Natalies hands. He squeezed them tight as he carried on speaking. "Thankyou." He paused again. "…I've been on my own for about five years now, since she disappeared. But people keep coming…kids play here and I try and warn them and I _tell_ them no but…"

"They disappear." The doctor finished for him, solemnly. "In the blink of an eye."

"Yes."

"There's one thing I want to ask, Jacob, if you'll indulge us." The doctor got up from the chair, coming around the back of it to stand behind Natalie. "Me and my comrade here were wondering about the mirrors. I mean, theyre lovely, very fancy, but why so many?"

Jacob blinked at the doctor owlishly, letting go of Natalies hand. "I just like them. So did Mrs Pocherline. She had a whole room dedicated to them three flights up, but most of them are down here now, makes them easier to clean."

"The house is falling to bits though Jacob." Natalie said. "Yet the mirrors are spotless—I saw them back there, you can eat your dinner of them theyre so nice."

"They are rather lovely, aren't they." Jacob mused.

A warm feeling was building in her stomach. She felt stupid for thinking that there was something in them earlier, that she had seen something. It was just her reflection. She wanted to see it again.

"Yeah, they are lovely." She agreed, pushing out of her chair. "I'm going to go look at them again."

The doctor watched her, bewildered. "Nat—I'm sure you've got plenty of nice ones at home!" His voice disappeared behind her as she left the parlor. "Whats so special about the mirrors?"

"That's how they get them doctor!" Jacob's voice was muffled by the walls. "They talk to the mirrors!"

The one she'd set her sights on was encased in gold. Jewels surrounded it, the candle light reflecting in the back of her vision. The warmth in her stomach spread till it touched her toes, her hand raised. She wanted to touch it.

"Nat…" The doctor was behind her, he must have ran. "Step away from the mirror for me?"

She didn't take her eyes off it. "Why? Look at it! It's beautiful."

"Its…Very lovely." He lowered her arm, gripping tightly on from her hand. "Very very lovely. But I think we need to go back to the parlor, don't you?"

She took a step closer to it. She _needed_ to be closer. The next step she took was apparently too much. Two arms wrapped around her waist and _yanked_ her back.

"C'mon Nat," The doctor grunted with effort. He tightened his grip around her waist when she dug her heels in. He tugged her again, succeeding this time. "Jacob, help me!"

She struggled against him as he carried her away, the mirror getting further and further away. "Please, doctor!" She squirmed. "I just wanna see it!"

"Not a chance!"

The further she was away from the mirror, the more the warmth dulled. The need to see the mirror was still there, but muted. When the doctor dropped her back onto her feet, she stayed there, watching him watch _her._

He stopped an inch away from her. "I don't understand, why the mirrors?" He took her face in his hands, his palms warm against her cheeks, looking into her eyes. "What has it done to you?"

"It hasn't done _anything._ " She stressed, feeling his scrutiny intensify under his gaze.

He dropped her chin and reached for his screwdriver. "What, so you've developed an ungodly fascination with home design in the last five minutes? No, somethings happened to you… _Someone._ "

Her chin wavered, watching him scan her with his screwdriver. He was ranting, pacing, running his hands through his hair, yet keeping his eyes on her. Her heartbeat was through the roof.

"What _is_ it?"

"Doctor you're scaring me."

"I mean _you_ look normal but its obviously doing something. Tapping into your telepathic field? But I would notice it, I'd realise it 'cause it would target me first, so its something else, has to be!"

" _Doctor_!" She yelled, making him still in his tracks. "I know this is exciting for you, but back there I couldn't even think aside from that mirror. I am _scared,_ so stop pretending like I'm not here and tell me whats going on!"

He blinked at her. Then his face changed into something that would have made her laugh if she hadn't been so frightened. He looked like someone had kicked his puppy. "…Sorry."

"What's happened to me?"

"It's the mirror!" Cried Jacob, behind them.

"Yes, very astute Jacob." He snapped sarcastically, giving his attention back to Natalie. He stopped in front of her, eyes on her. "The mirror—its… affecting your thoughts somehow. I'm not sure why yet, but I'll figure it out. But I'd go and say that's what happened to everyone else. I think the mirror took them."

Her eyes widened. "So, they were swallowed…By the mirror?"

Jacob came up behind them. "That's what happened to my Florence? The mirror took her?"

The doctor didn't turn around, keeping his eyes on Natalie. "Yes. But I won't let it take you. Trust me."

She didn't know if she did yet. But his eyes held such a promise that she wanted to. He watched her, waiting for her response, but she only gave a small nod.

He took that. He spun back around to Jacob. "Jacob! I need you to tell me everything about these mirrors. When you got 'em, why you like 'em, why Mrs Pocherline liked 'em, anything that comes to your head."

Jacob's reply was to open his mouth, then shut it again. Like a goldfish.

"Jacob _please._ It won't be long until it starts after Natalie again and I want to know how I can stop it before it does." He beckoned her forward with a finger. "Nat, come here, where I can see you."

She grumbled, but did so anyway. "I'm not a dog."

He ignored her, watching Jacob speak;

"Mrs Pocherline was a collector sh-she loved all sorts of finery." Jacob stammered, his eyes flicking from Natalie to the doctor. "She loved antique mirrors, spent all her time with them. But she couldn't clean them when she got sick, so she hired me. I've been cleaning them all my life. Theyre just pretty, aren't they."

Natalie hummed in agreement, feeling a soft smile pass over her lips. "Yeah, they are."

The doctors head snapped to hers. He watched her like a hawk. "…Say something again, Jacob? About the mirror?

"What shall I say?"

The doctor still hadn't taken his eyes off of her. It wasn't doing any favours for her heart rate. "Anything, anything at all."

Jacob cleared his throat. "I really like the gold one."

So did she. That was her favourite. Natalie felt the familiar warmth seeping up from her toes again. "So do I. It's gorgeous."

"I love the mirrors." The doctor said, raising an eyebrow. He was still watching her like a hawk. Perched on the dining table. "They're great, aren't they?"

Nat shrugged. "Sure, I guess."

"HA!" He made her jump, jumping off the table and landing on his feet with a _thud._ "See that Jacob?! When I talk about the mirrors, nothing, no reaction, but she responds to you. Say something about the mirrors again."

Jacob frowned. "They have… a lovely sheen?"

Natalie nodded enthusiastically, almost akin to a bobble head. "Yes they have such a nice sheen, don't they…Its lovely…"

The doctor turned away from her, running his hands through his hair. "Jacob, it's all about you! Everything, the mirrors, the house…Its you!"

The doctors explanations quietened as backed away from him, letting him get lost in the rambling explanations he was apparently so fond of. The mirror was waiting, and she could finally answer.

Her skin tingled as she gently shut the door behind her, the anticipation of seeing the mirror again made her blood run static, thrumming under her skin as she came to a stop in front of the gold mirror.

"You are beautiful…" She told it, running a hand over the casing. She took another step towards it, inches away from the glass. "Look at you…"

" _NATALIE_!" It was muffled by the wooden door, but he'd be here any second. She didn't have time.

Just as the door slammed open, she took the final step into the glass. It swallowed her limbs, her arms disappearing past the surface, and she kept walking, until it swallowed her whole. The only thing she could hear was the doctors muffled shouts until she left him behind.

" _No_!"

* * *

This will be continued, obviously! was a bit too long to do one big chapter, and who doesnt love a big cliffhanger?

Thanks for reading :)


	3. Broken Lives

So sorry for the delay! Life has been hitting me with a lot of stuff recently :(

* * *

Natalie couldn't feel the warmth anymore.

She landed on her face, her body hitting the floor with a resounding slap. She wasn't at the manor anymore, that much was clear.

"Oh _lord…_ We have another one!"

Cold hands ushered her to sit, running over her and trying to examine her. She almost had a mind to tell them to bore off until she saw the persons face.

She was middle aged, with red wavy hair past her shoulders. Her eyes were kind as they searched Natalie's face, flicking over every element of her body.

"Are you alright? I know this is scary, but you're alright. You're alive." The woman grabbed Natalies hands in her own. "We're all in the same position here. We all fell through the mirror."

Natalie blinked slowly, trying to come to terms with what had happened. Questions ran through her head at a hundred miles per hour, but she could only utter one question;

"Who are you?"

"I'm Florence. Florence Pocherline. And you?"

 _Florence._ She knew that name. She was Jacob's lost love. The one he thought was dead.

"Florence?" She questioned, ignoring her previous question. "Pocherline?"

"That's me."

Natalie blinked owlishly at her. "Jacob spoke of you, before I…Ended up here. He thinks youre dead."

Florence's hands slapped over her mouth, her eyes wide. "Jacob? My Jacob? He's still alive?"

Natalie nodded.

The other womans eyes started to brim with tears as she stared at Natalie, waiting for her to call a bluff, searching for anything. When Natalie didn't reply, the tears fell freely. "I thought…I don't know how long we've all been here but…I was sure he'd…My Jacob, he's still _alive._ "

That was all well and good, but Natalie had no idea where she was, what had happened, and who Jacob actually _was._ "Where am I? I walked through the mirror, and…where is this place?"

"Oh!" Florence sobbed, wiping a tear from her eye. "Forgive my rudeness Miss…?"

"Natalie."

"Natalie." Florence repeated. "This is…what seems to be another world. It isn't the one we left before we stepped into the mirror. It's empty and black and…Like a void."

That sounded reassuring.

"We all last remember stepping through a gold mirror, mother, father, Cynthia, the butler Robert, everyone here did. We all remember the mirror…It _pulled_ us in."

"Your mother?" Natalie interrupted, her eyes wide. "Mrs Pocherline? Mr Pocherline?"

"Yes!" Florence replied, scrambling up. "You have to meet them, they'll be overjoyed to have fresh company."

She yanked Natalie up to her feet, pulling her into a run. The void seemed to be endless, she couldn't tell where the floor ended and the ceiling began, couldn't tell how far they had run or where they had started. It was just…black…Empty.

She didn't know how long they had ran, but she caught glimpse of small figures in the distance, only getting bigger the more her and Florence ran.

"Mother!" She called, coming to a stop in front of a much older woman. "We have a new one. She's called Natalie."

The older woman was hunched, and carried a cane. She had red hair like her daughter, tightly curled and tucked into a white cap. She stood beside a haggard looking man, but dressed in finery, reading glasses perched upon a long broad nose.

"Hmm…" The older woman looked Natalie up and down. "You're too young for your life to be snatched away so cruelly. A pity."

Those weren't exactly the warm words she was searching for. Or hoping for.

"There must be some way out of here." Natalie promised, looking around the void they were stood in. "There's got to be something."

"Theres _nothing._ " Mr Pocherline remarked, narrowing his eyes. "Don't you think we've tried child? It's futile. There's nothing here. We're in hell."

"Cheery lot you are!" Natalie snapped back. "That's it? You just give up? Lie down and wait to die? What happened to good old Victorian Spirit! Smiling in the face of austerity! English _steel_?"

"We've been here for _ages_ Natalie. We've tried everything." Florence wearily replied.

They were defeated. She hardly blamed them. But she wasn't. This was her first trip, she wasn't going to accept defeat and spend her life with Victorian bores, she was going to see the world with the doctor. She was going to escape.

"And what happened to Jemima? The butler? Cynthia? They here too are they?"

Mrs Pocherline narrowed her eyes. "We lost them."

"To what?"

"The _void._ "

"Or maybe." Natalie raised an eyebrow. "They escaped. We all came here through the gold mirror, correct?"

"They died…They got thinner and thinner…They wasted _away_."

That made Natalie shudder. It also gave her more of an incentive to leave as soon as possible.

"We didn't just pop into here, we had an entrance point. If there's a way in, there's a way _out._ "

He saw her go.

The doctor saw her _walk_ into the mirror. He lost her, already. He'd opened up and given in and this was what he got, he lost another friend, another person he swore to protect.

He stared at the mirror, as if she'd pop back into existence.

"I'm sorry Doctor." He heard Jacob say, in a blur, almost disappearing into a muted whisper. "I'm so sorry."

He blinked. Then his mind snapped into action.

"Apologising implies a loss Jacob, and I _haven't_ lost her." He replied, running a hand through his hair. His brain ran at 500 miles a minute. "This is how Mrs Pocherline and the rest disappeared, correct? Your Florence? All through the mirror."

"I assume so." Jacob replied, unsure of where this was going.

"Through this particular one? The gold one?"

Jacob nodded.

The doctor pulled out his screwdriver, scanning it up and down. "I'm getting signatures that a mirror shouldn't get. Let me see…"

He scanned the mirror next to it, receiving no response from the screwdriver. He did the same to all the mirrors on that row, then all the mirrors in the room. None of them flashed.

"The gold mirror is the only one that shows signs of life. The mirror…" The doctor stared at it. "It's _alive._ "

"That's impossible!"

"Or its pretending to be so, anyway." The doctor summarised. He took a step closer to it. "If that's the case…Why isn't it affecting me?"

Jacob stood there, watching the doctor warily. He hadn't moved an inch.

" _Oh_! I'm stupid!" The doctor slapped his forehead. "I am! I'm an idiot!"

Jacob, again, just blinked.

"This mirror is your favourite, yeah Jacob?"

He nodded slowly.

"And its never taken you. Ever."

Jacob nodded again.

Then he remembered. He remembered what Jacob said. He said it _started 90 years ago._ Yet Jacob didn't look a year over fifty.

"…What year is it Jacob?"

"Now?" Jacob blinked owlishly. "The year of our lord, 1878."

"And do you know when you were born?"

Jacob raised his eyebrows. "Of course I do my lord! The 25th of April."

That didn't help much.

"And..the year?"

"April 25th 1738, my lord." Jacob nodded, as if he had just uttered the most normal thing in the world.

These facts were adding up, slowly but surely. But he didn't know where they led. "Jacob…You are aware that makes you 140 years old? As of this year?"

Jacob blinked again. "Wow. I'm looking good for it, aren't I? Didn't know people lived that long."

 _They don't._

"….And you said it started 90 years ago?"

Jacob was getting everything muddled. It clicked. It all clicked. Florence hadn't disappeared five years ago, it was longer than that, it had been years, Jacob had been living on his own for longer than he had realised.

But Jacob was old…But not…Because of the mirror?

"I always did have a fear of dying. I suppose the lord is looking out for me making me live this long." Jacob mused. "I'd sacrifice years to get Florence back. I'd sacrifice all of it."

The doctor tried to summarise it in his head. All of this wasn't right, Jacob's age, his estimation of the years, his past, the mirrors. His head hurt. He ran a hand through his hair, pacing up and down the wooden floorboards.

"You get attached to the mirrors because you're a poor child, you clean them everyday, particularly this one…You're scared of dying, the mirror has a life form…You're…You're…."

It all made sense.

"The mirrors a _life_ form."

Jacob blinked at him.

" _It's protecting you._ " The doctor whispered. " _Oh_! It all makes _sense_!"

"Doctor…" Jacob murmured. "What makes sense. I don't understand?"

He turned on his heel to face Jacob. "You're scared of dying Jacob, and poured all your attention into looking after the mirrors, the gold one was your favourite, except it isn't a mirror at all, it's a _life form._ It could sense your fear! It wanted to protect you! So what does it do? It takes people, energy, life forms, children, butlers, parents, until its just you and Florence left."

Jacobs face crumpled as he spoke, but he kept going.

"The delay between Florence being taken was because the mirror _knew_ what she meant to you, but she was the only one left! When you got sick, it took her because it _had to._ Mrs Pocherline, Mr Pocherline, Florence, Nat. They're _keeping you alive._ "

"No!" Jacob snapped, his hands either side of his head. "You're lying! You're lying!"

"I'm sorry Jacob. I _really_ am. But it's going to keep taking and taking to keep you alive."

Jacob's face was torn in anguish, his lip crumpled. "But..Florence…Your friend. It's my _fault._ "

The doctors hearts softened as he watched him. Watched Jacob wrestle between his emotions. His voice became gentler as he stopped in front of Jacob. "You couldn't have known what would happen. It's not your fault."

"But…" Jacob swallowed, tears running down his cheeks. "If I die, it'll let them go, wont it? It wont need to hold them anymore. To drain them. It'll let them _go._ "

The doctor frowned. "That's not the way. That's not going to happen."

"It's _got_ to."

"No!" The doctor snapped. "I'll find a way—there doesn't need to be a grand gesture to make it happen! Humans, always looking for the most dramatic way to make an end, _blimey._ "

Jacob didn't look like he believed him.

"I just need to take a look at the mirror." The doctor turned, approaching the golden cased glass. "I _know_ why it didn't have an effect on me—it's only catered to humans, but I want to see if I can reverse it. You stay close Jacob! No wandering off!"

"Alright."

The doctor scanned the mirror, it gave readings, it was _definitely_ a life form. But he just didn't know how. It was alien, that much was correct, but humans had been buying alien artefacts and keeping them on display from the beginning of the earth, this was hardly anything new.

It was conscious enough to understand Jacobs fears, and clearly fed off the energy of the people it had taken to keep Jacob alive. It made sense, but he just _wished_ he had found out earlier.

What he didn't expect, was for a blur to come hurtling into his torso.

The mirror reappeared. Like magic. In front of all of them.

"Somethings happened." Natalie whispered, her eyes widening. "He's done it, the doctor…He did it!"

She ran towards the mirror, the world going blank for a moment until she stumbled out of the other side.

She collided with something on the other side, falling flat onto whatever had been there to bump into her in the first place. Her cheek landed on cloth with a slap, the second time today she'd had a rough landing.

Natalie recognised her surroundings-She recognised the suit she was currently laid on.

"Doctor?" She questioned, leaning up onto an elbow. She had landed onto him, hurtling towards him and knocking them both to the floor. The doctor blinked up at her, before the biggest grin she'd ever see him wear spread across his lips. "Doctor!"

He pulled her into an odd hug, with both of them still on the floor. Her grin matched his as she squeezed him once before letting go. Behind them, Mrs Pocherline and Florence had come through the mirror.

"We're home…" Florence whispered, glancing around all the mirrors. "Jacob…I need to see Jacob!"

The doctor blinked, sitting up so forcefully that Natalie flew off him. "He should be here."

He was nowhere to be seen, and as Natalie pulled herself off the floor, so did the doctor. His eyes were wide.

"No…" He whispered softly. " _Jacob_!"

He set off at a run, with Natalie hot on his heels, followed by Florence and Mrs Pocherline. He slammed into the parlor, coming to a halt so suddenly that Natalie slapped into his back.

Jacob was on the floor, blood pouring out of a wound on his side. A knife was embedded deep into his torso.

"I'm sorry, doctor." He pushed out, eyes downcast. "I had to—" His eyes went wide, almost akin to saucers. "Florence!"

Florence dropped to his side, and suddenly Natalie felt uncomfortable watching a moment that should have been for the two of them. Florence held him to her chest, kissing his forehead whilst she cried.

"Jacob sacrificed himself to save you." The doctor explained solemnly. "To save all of you."

Natalie felt tears rise in her eyes as she took in the scene. She sucked in a breath as her head ducked to her chest, the image of Jacob covered in blood as he lay dying was too much to bear. All she could hear was Jacob's last quivering breaths and the cries of the family that had raised him. It was unbearable.

She heard a gasp, out of place from the rest of the emotions, making her head slowly lift.

"Natalie, look!" The doctor grasped her hand, making her head snap up to attention.

Surrounding Jacob was a yellow light, like a halo. The blood shrunk, his shirt becoming unstained and his skin brightening. The knife flew out of his side, his flesh slowly starting to knit together. He was _healing._

Natalie knew her mouth was open as she turned to the doctor, but he had already gone.

She found him scanning the mirror with his screwdriver, his face solemn. "Oh…you beautiful thing…"

"How the _hell_ did that happen?" She asked, getting closer to him. "We saw him _bleed._ "

The doctor didn't reply for a moment, his face blank as he looked at the mirror. " _That…_ was the mirror helping one last time." He swallowed thickly, letting the screwdriver drop to his side. "It's dead."

"It sacrificed itself." She breathed slowly, her heart aching. "For Jacob?"

He nodded mutely.

"Did you…Ever find out what it was?"

"No." He sighed. "Now we never will."

Natalie slowly came to stand next to him. She stared at the mirror, no longer feeling the warmth it once held over her. "I'm sorry."

"Yeah."

"Could we find out what it was?"

He noticed her looking at him, and a wide, over cheery grin spread over his features. "Nah, doesn't matter. Nothing to be sorry about! All worked out in the end."

She didn't need to know him to know it was fake. But she knew him enough to know not to question it. She sighed softly through her nose. "Right."

"C'mon, back to the TARDIS." He grabbed her hand and tugged her away.

"That's it?" She questioned, straining her neck to look at the mirror. "No goodbyes? Just off onto the next thing?"

"Yep." He replied shortly, squeezing her hand tightly.

"That's what you do? You just _go?_ Already forgotten about?"

"Yep."

His voice was clipped as she rolled her eyes. To say they were holding hands, she never felt so awkward in her life as they walked back to the TARDIS, not speaking a word to each other.

He closed the doors behind them and dropped her hand, only stopping from fiddling with the console when he noticed she hadn't followed.

"You want to go home?" He asked, fiddling with the controls and not meeting her eye.

"No."

"Right."

"Do you want me to?"

"No."

There was another silence for a while, as he flicked the controls and they set off again. They didn't speak until she walked up the ramp, taking a seat in the control seat.

She was stubborn. She could play at this game. She stared at her nails as he walked around the console.

"This happens a lot." The doctor broke the silence, finally. "People, aliens, creatures. They _die._ Sometimes I never even find out who they are. Are you _sure_ you want to see that?"

He was trying to protect her.

She didn't need it.

"What I saw today was _beautiful_ —"

"You almost died—"

"Let me _finish._ " She snapped.

He blinked at her, before his mouth snapped shut.

"What I saw today, even with how it ended, was beautiful. The one thing to take away from this doctor, was _love._ Whatever controlled that mirror loved Jacob so much that it was willing to do anything for him—it died for him!" She pushed herself out of the control seat. "It sacrificed itself so he could live, and you don't get to take that away from me. Don't you _dare_."

The doctor rubbed his eyes with his fingers. "You're right…Of course you are. I just…" He looked up, and she could see him warring with his emotions, debating whether or not to tell her. "I see this so often, death, destruction—It's hard sometimes to see it with fresh eyes. To see the beauty. I used to—I _really_ used to but…I've lost so much it just gets…difficult."

Natalie's heart softened. "I'd never pretend to know what you've lost. Ever. But you _can_ learn to see that beauty again."

He smiled softly. "I know."

She smiled back.

His breath whooshed out from his cheeks as she placed his hand on the console. "I'm starting to think you might be a good influence after all, Miss Kemp."

* * *

I think theres a lot of things they can both teach other, so I'm looking forward to keep writing their relationship.


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